Scalloped hammerhead considered for endangered species list

November 28, 2011|By David Fleshler

The scalloped hammerhead shark, a species with fins prized for shark-fin soup, is being considered for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced Monday an initial finding that protecting the shark “may be warranted” and will further study the question. The fisheries service made the finding in response to a petition from the conservation groups WildEarth Guardians and Friends of Animals.

The main threat to the scalloped hammerhead comes from commercial fishing, particularly the practice of finning, in which the valuable fins are cut from the live shark, which is thrown back to die, according to a notice from the fisheries service in the Federal Register. The practice is illegal in U.S. waters, although shark fins may be taken so long as the rest of the shark is also kept.

The various hammerhead species command high prices for their fins because they have long fin needles that make excellent noodles for the soup. In the Hong Kong seafood market, where they trade under the catergory Chun chi, fins from up to 2.7 million smooth and scalloped hammerheads are sold every year, according to the Federal Register notice.

The shark, which can reach lengths of up to 14 feet, lives in warmer waters throughout the world. In the western Atlantic, it lives from New Jersey south through Florida to Brazil.